Markham, Ont., September 29,
2016 – Fresh
on the heels of the sales launch of the 2017 Civic Hatchback, the
next-generation Civic Type Rhad its global debut in
prototype form today at the 2016 Paris auto show. The
radical new Civic Type R, with its sporty and sleek
hatchback design and track-ready performance,
will make its North American debut at the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, November
1-4, 2016, marking the arrival of the first-ever Honda-badged Type R in North
America.

The
Civic Type R Prototype offers insight into the styling of the next-generation
Civic Type R, which will be officially unveiled in 2017, joining the 10th Generation Civic Sedan and Civic Coupe and newly
released Civic Hatchback, with the Civic Si variants also launching next year.

“We promised the most ambitious, sportiest Civic lineup ever and we’re
delivering on that promise with each new Civic,” said Dave Gardner, senior vice
president of the Honda Canada Inc. “For the first time ever in Canada, Honda
fans and enthusiasts will have access to the ultimate in Civic performance in
the form of the new Type R.”

Based on the low and wide proportion of the new Civic Hatchback, the
Civic Type R Prototype is enhanced by
muscular body styling and modifications to aid aerodynamic performance. The
exterior is wrapped in a highly reflective,
finely-grained brushed aluminum-effect finish, which is unique to the prototype
car. At the front, the
aggressive fascia is accentuated with a winged carbon fiber splitter and sporty
red accent line. Additional slatted ducts add width to the fascia, and
diamond-mesh inserts fill the sculpted air intakes.

Honda’s iconic red “H”
badge, which adorns all Type R models, sits prominently on the front grille at
the nose of the car. There is a new intake on the hood, with an air scoop sited
centrally in a trapezoidal recess. Smoked lenses for the LED headlights,
indicators and side indicator repeater lights reflect the Type R Prototype’s
more aggressive character.

Carbon
fiber side skirts run the length of the side sills, between 20-inch piano black
alloy wheels with red accents and 245-section high-performance tires. A beefy carbon
fiber diffuser runs below the wider rear fascia, which frames three
fully-functional tailpipes flanked by a pair of directional strakes. The smaller
diameter central tailpipe is highlighted in bright metallic red. Model-exclusive vortex generators at the rear edges of the roof point
backward toward a visually striking rear wing.

The next generation Civic Type R was developed by the joint efforts of
Honda R&D teams in Europe and Japan and will be officially unveiled in
production form next year. The 2017 Civic Type R will be produced exclusively at
the Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM) plant in Swindon, the global manufacturing hub for the
five-door hatchback.